Back Street Heroes November 2017

ISSUE 403 NOV 2017 £4.10

SO THAT WAS THE SUMMER OF 2017, WAS IT? WELL, I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS TOO BAD…

NIK SAMSON

nik@backstreetheroes.com 07884 052003 design:

GARETH WILLIAMS publisher:

TIM HARTLEY advertising contact:

RICK NICHOLS

rnichols@mortons.co.uk 01507 529357 divisional ad manager:

BILLY MANNING

bmanning@mortons.co.uk subscription manager:

PAUL DEACON circulation manager:

STEVE O’HARA marketing manager:

CHARLOTTE PARK publishing director:

DAN SAVAGE

commercial director:

NIGEL HOLE

freelance contributors: SIMON EVERETT, GRAHAM LEEK, FAZERDAZE, LAURIE, IAN SHIPLEY, HELENE, LOUISE LIMB, DALE, GARRY STUART, JIM TARRY, DAVE M, PAM, MALLE LONDON, MR BRIDGES, SELINA LAVENDER, RICK HULSE editorial address:

BACK STREET HEROES, MORTONS MEDIA, MORTON WAY, HORNCASTLE, LN9 6JR subscriptions:

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JANE SKAYMAN

jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423

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Y

The weather has also provided me with a little entertainment of late; a very good friend of mine (whether he still will be when he reads this though is a different matter…) has spent the last few months banging on about how he was really looking forward to touring Scotland in September on his now (allegedly) reliable Buell, and I mean really going on about it. Really, really. Almost tediously. He set off a few days before I wrote this… in his car. The weather, you see, on the day he was due to leave was a bit rainy so he sacked off the bike and, of course, you know what happened next, don’t you?

Yep, the weather was beautiful the rest of the trip.

Of course meself and his friends didn’t take the piss out of him on Facebook when he posted up pictures of his travels, oh no. We wouldn’t do such a thing, would we? No, of course not – any YouTube links to Madness’ ‘I Like Driving In My Car’, ‘Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’, and ‘Drive’ by The Cars that happened to appear on his posts must’ve been the work of spambots hacking our accounts… ✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱ We here at BSH would like to thank Fortean Times, the magazine that explores ‘The World of Strange Phenomena’, for the large mention they gave us in their last issue (FT358, October 2017) as part of a series of articles on motorcycles and the occult.

They looked at the biking and the magazine’s early history, and in particular the fiction stories of the much-missed Jim Fogg who used a number of fortean themes in them. Foggie, whose work many of us looked forward to each issue, used such things as ghosts, premonitions, phantom hitchhikers, spirit possession, religious weirdness, and many

elements of old English (and further afield too) folklore to craft his tales, cleverly entwining them with motorcycles to make stories that were always enthralling and often a little unnerving – I still remember getting shivers up me spine after reading ‘Nor The Moon By Night’, ‘Snatchems’, ‘The Gabriel Hounds’ or ‘The Blood Eagle’ even after all these years.

Hmm, we still have most of his stories available here, wonder if it’s time for a reprint of a few? Whaddya think? ✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱ For the next few weeks, until 20th October, voting is still open for your choice of the best bikes in the BSH Custom Bike Building Championship.

As you probably know, all the winners for 2017 have been chosen from the six rounds we held at the BMAD Paignton Bike Festival, Race, Rock ‘n’ Ride, the Farmyard Party, Diamond Day, the Rock & Blues, and the Bulldog Bash – now it’s time for you to vote for your favourites! To do this, simply go to the BSH website at www.backstreetheroes. com, click on the ‘VOTE’ icon, and then click each category (Best Chopper, Best Custom, Best Paint, Best Engineering, Best New School Custom), and vote for the one in it that really floats your boat (you can only vote for one bike in each class, okay?).

The winners of each class will go on display on the BSH Custom Xtreme stand at Motorcycle Live at the NEC in Birmingham (18-26th November), where you’ll be able to see them in all their glory.

What are you waiting for? Get voting! ✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱ And, finally, talking of our stand at Motorcycle Live, the bikes that are going to grace it this year are absolute killers (in a fluffy, bunny-like, not-actuallykilling-anyone fashion, of course).

We’re already well on with collecting up the most stunning customs in the land to grace it, but we’re always looking for cool bikes that we may not have already seen. If you have a bike that you reckon is the dog’s dangly bits, drop me an email to nik@ backstreetheroes.com with a pic... I can’t promise owt, but you never know, do you?

See you next month!

NIK

Di t ib ti b Distribution

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by Willi William Gibb Gibbons and d SSons, W Wolverhampton. l h t ISSN: 02679841. BSH is copyright to Mortons Media Ltd 2017 and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

The publishers accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If you send material to us for publication, you are strongly advised to make copies and to include an SAE. Original material must be submitted and will be accepted solely on the basis that the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. BSH UK subscriptions £40.00, European subs £55.89, all other countries £67.89, from BSH Subs, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle LN9 6LZ. USA subs $60 per annum from Motorsport, 31757 Honey Locust Road, Jonesburg, MO 63351-9600 and additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage is paid at Jonesburg, Missouri, USA. Postmaster: send USA address changes to BSH, Motorsport, 550 Honey Locust Road, Jonesburg, MO 63351-9600.

*There are places in That London that charge quite a lot of money for that service, I’m told…

editor:

eah, we had a little rain (quite a lot in the last week or so up to me writing this in mid-September, I’ve still got bike gear drying on a radiator that’s been there for a few days now, and I did wuss out at the weekend and get the good lady to take me to a bike event in the car on the grounds that I’d got piss wet through on the way down to hers), but on the whole, as far as my addled brain can recall, it wasn’t too bad at all.

Mind you, I do live over in East Anglia, the area of the country where, traditionally, it’s a lot drier than in most of the rest of the land so perhaps it’s only been good over ’ere – you lot might’ve got torrentially widdled on* all summer long for all I know.

T H E ES R T OF BE PATREETHERYO S BACK OMMUNIT C TO O GE GET TH DIGITAL T THE EDITIONS APP, SIMPLY SEARCH FOR ‘BACK STREET HEROES’ IN THE APPLE APP STORE FOR iPAD OR ON GOOGLE PLAY FOR ANDROID

CHECK OUT THE BSH FACEBOO K PAGE (BACK STREET HEROES) AND THE BSH FACEBOOK GRO UP AT BACK STREET HEROES – THE OFFICIAL GROUP

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NOVEMBER 2017

16

SIDEWAYS HARLEY

clever engineering in evidence

22 26 28 34 36

ROCK & BIKE FEST

bands, dressing up and choppers

38

last chance to vote for your favourites

46 52

XS500 YAM

66

the coolest XS500 on the planet?

CHAOS

crossing the sea to Guernsey to party

BMW CAFE RACER

68

TR6SS TRIUMPH

proper chopper an’ no mistake!

80

GPZ750 TURBO

TOMINTOUL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING

one of the biggest Scottish biker gatherings

82

ATTITUDE DAY bikes, beer and burgers in Sarfampton

SHOVELHEAD CHOPPER (pictured) the Bulldog Bash winner in all its glory

simple, basic and clean

LINCOLN BIKE FEST

bikes and history in Lincoln’s fair city

BSH CUSTOM BIKE CHAMPS

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CHINNOR BIKE DAYZ

rally-cum-festival in the Chilterns

84

it’ll rip yer ‘ead off an’ gob down yer neck!

THE MILE

Malle’s posh London hill-climb

HERTS DAY

NCC Herts booked the sunshine again!

62(ALMOST) A ROADTEST – 86XSR EVOLUTION the Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer

– what it’s like to live with a custom bike long-term

86PROJECT BUILD

– part eight of our new project bike build

BRIDGES’ 92MR MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

wheel bearings and how to do them

6

OPENFACED – all that’s new

and happening in the custom bike world

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PRODUCTS – loads of good

stuff for you to spend your hard-earned on

12SUBSCRIBE TO BSH – see here for the best subscription offers

14 58CENTRESPREAD

LETTERS – sound off, one, two, sound off three, four!

– Louise Limb’s latest artistic offering

–

96MAG NEWS

– our regular column by the MAG chairnongenderspecificperson

98EVENTS

– the fullest listings of the best summer rallies, shows and parties anywhere!

102READERS’ LIVES

– your pictures and our silly captions... yeah, sorry about that

104SMALLS 114RICK HULSE

– sell your bike here for free

– the musings of one of the most eloquent thinkers in bikerdom!

NOVEMBER 2017

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WARRINGTON WHEELS Motorcycle Live, the UK’s biggest bike show, will open its doors at the NEC, Birmingham from 18-26th November.

This year, the ticket price remains all-inclusive and advance buyers will not only benefit from significant savings in comparison to the on-the-door price, they will also be in with a chance of winning one of hundreds of on-the-spot prizes in the show’s 2017 Golden Ticket promotion.

They’ve also announced that there will be the biggest and best freestyle motocross (FMX) show they’ve ever done, featuring the best athletes in the sport, and, of course, it’s free. Performances will take place twice daily on weekdays (noon and 2.30pm) and three times a day at the weekend (11.30am, 2pm and 3.30pm).

There will also be an amazing BSH stand with the winners of the Custom Bike Champs on display, as well as the best custom bikes to be featured in the mag too, and a new range of merchandise that’s being launched there. Come up and say hello!

Advance tickets cost just £19.50 adults (£12 seniors, £1 for 11-16 year olds, FREE for children aged ten and under), or there’s also a £25 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and a Spada bag worth £29.99. And visitors who buy on-site car parking in advance will receive a voucher for halfprice admission to the National Motorcycle Museum, which is adjacent to the NEC. To book call 0844 581 2345 or visit www.motorcycle live.co.uk.

Warrington Wheels is a motorcycle, or motorcycle-related, vehicle building competition aimed at young people that’s going to be held at Woolston Brook School in Warrington in Cheshire (WA1 4JL) on Friday 25th May next year.

Entrants can be in teams or as individuals, but they must be aged 18 years or under. You can enter as many vehicles as you can build,

and they can be any type of bike, trike or quad, running or not.

You’ll also be given the opportunity to enter your exhibits in the National Youthbike Competition (www.youthbike.com) that’ll be held in Lincolnshire a few weeks later in June.

For further information contact Bob Towler on 01925 818549 or email him at bobtowler57@ hotmail.co.uk

On 14th October, a few days after this ’ere magazine comes out, The Hogfather Motorcycles are having an open day with huge discounts on stock items and on items ordered on the day, and a hog roast (well, it had to be one of those really, didn’t it?), to coincide with the Original Cruisers’ Halloween Rock Weekend, which is on just up the road.

The shop is at the Old Church, Cemetery Road, Southport (PR8 5EE for all you sat nav nerds), and you can ring them for more info on 01704 514450 or 547783 or email info@TheHogfatherGroup.com (www.TheHogfatherGroup.com).

CAROLE NASH ANICS SHOW CL ASSIC MECH takes place over ssic Mechanic s Show The Carole Nash Cla rdshire Count y ffo er 14-15 at the Sta the weekend of Oc tob this year’s event may say to n tio era gg no exa Showground, and it’s be the best ever. undoubtedly the l guest – Aaron Slight, There will be a specia e – and nearly titl ike erb Sup rld the Wo private entries, best rider never to win and s nd sta b mble stalls, clu and meet t 1,0 00 trade and autoju par e siv ce to pick up that elu tage Japanese and is the perfect pla Vin The s. ual ivid ind -minded e, thousands of other like e Restoration Theatr be running the uniqu ad -ro off st tie Motorcycle Club will tas the Bike Hall with some of auc tion there’s a Classic Dir t the Stafford Bonham’s and , ere wh any le ilab machiner y ava d on the Sunday. will once again be hel iors or £3 for underfor adults, £11 for sen £12 t jus t cos s Ticket To find out more or e. fre is g e, and parkin 12s if bought in advanc assicbikeshows. dcl ets go to ww w.staf for tick e anc adv ok bo to 01507 529529. com/oc tober or call

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NOVEMBER 2017

£10,000 REWARD

Two very special classic motorcycles were stolen from Epping in Essex around 2am on Tuesday 29th August; an immaculate 1952 Vincent 1000 Rapide and a unique MV Agusta, built in 1974 by the race workshop factory for Phil Read, winner of eight world championship GP titles.

The owner is offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to their recovery.

The MV’s frame number is MV4C75022177, its engine number

is 77, and the reg, if it hasn’t been thrown away, is WHJ 467M. The Vincent’s frame number is RC/1/7896, its engine number is F10AB/1 /4628, and the reg, again if it hasn’t been lobbed, is NNK 813.

If you have any information, please email either ross.burnard@ clarkeinternational.com or ray.houldsworth@ clarkeinternational.com or ring 01992 565300 or 07734 078892.

The Black Douglas Motorcycle Company would like you to know about their new range of modern vintage bikes.

The new bikes are made in Italy, but epitomise the old British flat-tanker era, yet use modern engines and brakes. They come with 125cc and 250cc engines, and are hand-crafted in the style capital that is Milan.

The typical 1920s flat-tank style bikes have nine-litre hand-welded aluminium/magnesium alloy tanks, rigid tubular steel, double beam frames, wiring inside the handlebars and hand-painted bodywork, and girder forks with a hydraulic shock absorber, and single-cylinder four-stroke, air-cooled, two-valve motors with five-speed gearboxes. They’re both legal for new riders too, as they

fall in the A2 licence category. The brakes are drums, with ABS on the 250 and combined braking on the 125, and both bikes are narrow, nimble and light (just under 100kg).

There are a huge range of accessories too. It’s possible to choose from a wide range of colours for the bodywork, and also different horns, headlights, wheels and exhausts, different leathers for the saddles, rear racks, an elegant wicker basket, soft fabric side bags with leather trim, and rigid leather cases with brass locks.

Get more information from their website at www.theblackdouglas.com

WIN AN INDIAN! The BBRF (British Biker Relief Fund) are offering you the chance to win a brand new Indian Scout for the bargain sum of just £5 a ticket!

The competition, run in association with Thor Motorcycles and Indian themselves, will help raise funds to

help support motorcyclists and their families after serious motorcycle accidents – a worthy cause if ever there was one!

If you buy four, you’ll get a fifth free, and you can get them from the BBRF website at www.bbrf.co.uk

Following the success of the National Motorcycle Museum’s Museum LIVE over the past three years, Saturday 4th November will see it host its fourth free open day when everyone will be invited to visit the museum collection free of charge.

There will also be a host of other free attractions including a large indoor autojumble, trade and display stands from the likes of Footman James insurance brokers, Triumph, Norton, Bonhams auctioneers and H&H classic auctions, a huge range of classic motorcycling books, clothing and memorabilia, and you can meet some of the museum’s specialist suppliers and craftsmen (including their own restoration team) as well as other classic motorcycling personalities who will be available to chat and answer questions. Some of the most famous race machines in the world will be started up too.

Entry is free, but there is a charge for car parking (£5 per car – bikes are free), and you can get more info from www.thenmm.co.uk NOVEMBER 2017

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SPADA INTREPID MIRAGE HELMET

As winter approaches and openface lids get a little chilly, it might be time to think about something a little warmer and more protective.

Have you ever thought about an adventure lid? They’re lighter and, generally, less constrictive around the face than a conventional fullface, and because there’s more space around your mouth they steam up less too.

Thi new Spada This S d Intrepid I id Mirage Mi is a case in point; light, tough and protective, it comes with a quick release fastening, has front

lower and upper ventilation, a multi-positional visor, a removable peak, and an integral drop-down tinted visor for protection against low winter sun.

Available in XS to XL, and in black/orange/white, white/grey/ black, white/blue/black and white/red/black (plain colours available too), it costs just £99.99 from anywhere that stocks the S d range – go to www.

Spada spadaclothing.co.uk to find your closest stockist.

These new Oxford Super Leggiings are designe ed for women who o like to have protecction while looking and d feeling good!

They’re made m using a DuP Pont Kevlar lining, and offer serious protection, which includes grreat abrasion resistance and CE level 2 kne ee protectors (they have e hip protector pockets sh hould you decide you need to upgrade too), t and can also be worn under normal clothin ng, giving you extra confi fidence on your ride.

Available in sizes 8-22, they costt just £99.99 from anywhere that stocks the Ox xford Products range – check out www.oxfordprroducts.com to find your nearest place. place

Lean and mean, these Mini-Grenade exhausts from Vance & Hines pack a punch with their signature staggered three-step design finished with raceinspired CNC-machined billet end caps. Available in chrome or matt black, they have a muscular compact stance and an aggressive deep tone resulting in one tough exhaust system for your Sportster.

They fit all 2004-17 H-D Sportsters, and cost £605 from anywhere that stocks the MAG Europe range – check out www.mageurope.eu to find your local retailer.

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NOVEMBER 2017

These 12v 7Ah batteries are suited for any purpose, be it long-distance riding or drag strip applications. They are gel filled which means they’re guaranteed not to spill or leak, and installation is possible in any position and location. Theyy measure just 150mm (six inches) by 65mm m (2.5 inches) by 93mm (3.6 inches), and are suitable for all bikes without an electric sta art.

Get yours from anywhere that stocks the W&W Cycles range – go to www.wwag.ccom to find your closest place.

We’ve all had one; a bike that’s wonderful to ride, but only for a limited time – after that the agony starts. It’s even worse if you suffer from the Farmers (rhymes with Giles), then you have to stop for two or three hours until your sorrowful buttocks return to life and then, when you get back on, the pain kicks in even sooner!

I get this – a lot – so I tried an Airhawk air-filled seat cushion because everyone said they would transform my riding experience and, do you know what, they were right. At first I was sceptical but, after a five-hour round trip with

LIIMITED EDITION OGRI BOOK Crea ated by cartoonist and illustrator Paull Sample in the earlyy 1970s, the Ogri cartoon strip ran in Bike e magazine until 2008 8, and then in Back Stre eet Heroes until the last one was published in O October 2013.

Co ontaining all 443 published cartoons, each h printed on 355x x324mm pages (bigger than A4), the strips are bigger than n ever before, allow wing readers of the com mpendium to savour the intricate detail of Paull Sample’s distiinctive

only a fuel stop, I was totally converted – it was like riding with the fingers of a skilled, sultry masseuse soothing away the tension in your bum so you could concentrate on enjoying the ride!

Their Dry Flotation system was developed for wheelchair users who are at risk from pressure sores, and the air cells in the cushion equalise forces over weight-bearing areas of the body. And, not only do the seating pads relieve numbness, they also help to control vibration and absorb shock. They also come with a breathable cover and a non-skid base so the seat stays where it should and yer bum doesn’t get sweaty. And you can transfer them from bike to bike too.

Check them out at www.motohaus.com

artwork. Also included are strips 443/49 and 444/50, neither of which has ever before seen the light of day.

Printed and bound by Blissett’s, the Queen’s own bookbinder, the first edition will be available in three binding options, all of which will be part of a private numbered edition; bound in black buckram book cloth (£85), bound in black buckram book cloth and presented in a hand-made slipcase and numbered from 101 upwards (£125), and a limited edition of one hundred copies, bound in Wildman and Bugby black leather, individually ually signed and do oodled by Paul (£250).

For more inform mation, visit teamo ogri.big cartell.com

BATES HERITAGE SOLO SEATS

An almost iconic custom part of the past is the Bates solo seat. Sleek-looking and easy to mount, it was and is the seat of choice for many choppers and bobbers. These reproductions are meticulously made period accessories, with no detail left out – the detachable leather cover is fixed to the correct base plate with Phillips screws and countersunk washers.

They measure 330mm (13 inches) by 230mm (nine inches), and you can get one from anywhere that stocks the W&W Cycles range – go to www.wwag.com to find your closest place.

DEADPOOL HELMET

Just about the coolest superhero to grace our screens in the last few years, y Marvel’s unspeakably violent, foulmouthed, but very funny Deadpo ool gets his own lid in the HJC range,, joining our Marvel stalwarts like Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-Man. They’vve reproduced his essence using menacing matt red d paint to replicate his suit and large black eyes that dominatte the face of the helmet.

The helmet itself is to the usual HJC quality – advanced polycarbonate shell, perfect fit, large eye port for greater visibility, smoketinted three-stage adjustable an nti-fog visor with drop-down inner visor, quick release strap, and more air-ports than the Death Star.

It retails for £249.99 from anywhere where that stocks the HJC range – check out www.oxfordproducts.com to find your nearest place.

NOVEMBER 2017

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SPIDI ACE LEATHER JACKET

Precision CNC machined from the finest 6061 T6 aluminium, Biketek pro series adjustable levers are ergonomically designed to provide e improved lever feel and control, an nd the multi-setting adjuster enables the lever to be set at the exact rea ach for the rider, resulting in better control and comfort. They feature a grooved lever blade for better grip, with a weight saving aero cutout, and come in a choice of black or titanium colours with black or gold adjusters.

Available individually as brake or clutch levers in both long g and short options options, they fit a huge range of bikes (see e the website for the full range) g and cost £44.99 from anyywhere that stocks the Bike It range e – see www. bik keittrade. com m for you ur nearest place.

This new Spidi Ace leather jacket is a classic example e of a leather motorcycle jacket, and features strong references to the cafe racer world.

Made from 0.8mm thick leather, it has Forcetech protection on n the elbows and Multitech prote ection on the shoulders, and has a pocket for a back prottector too. The lining is remo ovable for warm weather (an nd put-backin-able fo or cold too), and there are three extern nal pockets.

Also available in wom men’s sizes, it costts £399.99 from anyywhere that sto ocks the Spidi ran nge – check out www.spidiuk. w co om for your nearest place. n

S&S Cycle have created a tunable slip-on exhaust for both the HarleyDavidson Street and Street Rod; the Grand National muffler ((£313 incl. VAT) wakes tthem both up with a genuine v-twin exhaust g note and a removable n sstainless steel dB rreducer that allows the user to tune the sound u and performance. a Also new is the Stealth A intake ssystem stem for the Street (£142 incl. VAT) S which is easyy to o install and

BILTWELL ILTWELL L RUSTY BUTCHER R HELMET

ed up with famed Biltwell has team er’ ark ‘Rus ty Butch M r hooligan race ne La n itio ed dite Atkins on this lim The helmet is Split ter helmet. r tary Biltwell’s proprie crafted around a and features ABS outer shell EPS liner with g bin or bs k-a shoc erior padding, int d hand -stitche a BioFoam chin cheek pads and mfor t. Generous co r fo bar cushion bar get the air vents in the chin tlet in the back ou e th flowing and s . pe The visor ha lets hot air esca s and a tic op te ra cu ac ex tremely

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simple hinge for easy removal for replacement/ cleaning, while a brass peg and hole configuration on the left side offers speedy opening and secure closing. Mesh pockets are included in the ear recess for aftermarket communication systems.

Get yours from anywhere that stocks the Custom Chrome Europe range – check out www.customchrome-europe.com for your closest seller.

NOVEMBER 2017

alongside the Grand National muffler increases power by up to 6.7% more horsepower and 11.6% more torque.

S&S products are available at all Drag Specialties dealers, and you will find stores in your area easily online at www.partseurope.eu